Chair



D. L. BATES CHAIR 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 3, 1965 e. m E V w D. L. BATES Oct. 11, 1966 CHAIR Filed sept. s, 196.5

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

3,278,229 CHAIR Donald lL. Bates, Columbus, Ind., assignor to Hamilton Cosco, inc., Columbus, 1nd., a corporation of Indiana Filed Sept. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 484,941 10 Ciaims. (Cl. 297-345) This invention relates to a chair, and more particularly to a vertically adjustable chair.

It is an object of the invention to provide a chair having a vertically adjustable seat, which can be quickly and easily moved into a plurality of positions of adjustment, which can be releasably locked in the desired position of adjustment, which will permit the seat to be rotated when it is in any of its positions of adjustment, and which will be of attractive appearance.

In accordance with one form of the invention, there is provided a first support member mounted on a groundengageable base. A second support member is vertically slidable in said first support member and projects upwardly therefrom to support a seat in an elevated position above the base. A plurality of vertically spaced apertures are formed in the rst support member, and the second support member has associated bearing means carried within the first support member and provided with aperture means. A fastening element is releasably retained in the apertures of said first support member and bearing means for releasably locking the second support member, and thus the seat, in the desired position of vertical adjustment, while permitting the seat to be rtated with respect to the first suppor-t member.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a chair embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizonal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section similar to FIG. 4, but showing means for relative vertical adjustment between the seat and foot rest; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical section similar to FIG. 4 showing a modified embodiment of the invention.

As shown in the drawings, my chair comprises a seat 10 having a rigid base 12 conveniently provided over its upper surface with a resilient covering 13. The seat 10 is connected along its rear edge by brackets 14 and fasteners to a back rest 16 having a rigid base 18 disposed within a resilient covering 20.

The seat 10 is carried on a support assembly comprising a tubular support 22 connected at its lower end to a ground-engageable base 24. A second tubular support 26 is carried within the support 22 and projects upwardly therefrom for connection to the bottom of the seat 10 for thus supporting said seat in an elevated position above the ground.

As shown in FIG. 2, the support 22 is provided with a plurality of vertically aligned pairs of diametrically opposed apertures 23. The lower end of said support is necked-down, as at 29, and is received in a collar 30 of the base 24. A plurality of ground-engageable legs 32 are connected to the collar 30 in circumferentially spaced relationship and radiate outwardly and downwardly therefrom. Conveniently, an anti-skid end cap 33 is tounted on the end of each of the legs 32.

The support 26 is vertically slidable in the support 22 and projects upwardly therefrom. A plate 35 is fixedly mounted on the upper end of the support 26 and is connected by bolts 36 to the seat base 12. A plastic beari nitcd States Patent O 3,278,229 Patented ct. ll, 1966 ing 38 disposed around the support 26 is press-t into the upper end of the support 22 to retain the support 26 in alignment with the axis of the support 22 at the upper end of the support 22. The lower end of the support 26 is received in a cap 40 carried within the support 22. As shown in FIG. 4, the cap 40 has annular inner and outer walls 42 and 44 spaced from each other to define an annular groove 45 in which the lower end of the support 26 is press-tit. The cap 40 is provided with a generally frustoconical end wall 47 received upon the upper end wall 49 of a cup 50 and rotatably connected thereto by a pivot pin 52. The end wall 49 has a frustoconical depression for reception of the cap end wall 47 to dispose the adjacent ends of the cap and cup in mating engagement. The outer edges of the cup end wall 49 terminate in a peripheral downwardly extending side wall 53. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the walls 44 and 53 of the cup and cap are disposed against the inner wall of the support member 22 to thus provide a bearing support for the lower end of the support 26 within the support 22.

A pair of diametrically opposed apertures 54 are formed in the cup side wall 53 to receive a fastening bolt 55 extending through a pair of support apertures 28 and the cup apertures 54 and received in a nut 56 for releasably locking the support 26, and thus the seat 10, in the desired position of vertical adjustment. With the cup being retained in the desired position of vertical adjustment, the support 26, and thus the seat 10, will be free to rotate about the axis of the support 22 with the cap end wall 47 bearing against the cup end wall 49.

The chair illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is provided with a foot rest 6d carried on the support 22. As shown, said foot rest comprises a sleeve 62 slidable along the outer face of the support 22 and having a plurality of circumferentiaily spaced struts 64 radiating upwardly and out wardly therefrom. The outer ends of said struts are coi1 nected to and support an outer foot ring 66. The sleeve 62 `has a pair of diametrically opposed apertures 68 adapted to receive the bolt 55 for thus retaining the foot rest 60 in its desired position of vertical adjustment on the support 22.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the foot rest 60 and support 26 are connected to the support 22 by the single bolt and nut assembly 55 and 56 with said nut and bolt assembly retaining the foot rest on the support 22 in a nonrotatable position, and the bearing formed by the cap 40 and cup 50 permitting the support 26 and seat 10 to rotate with respect to the support 22. It vmay be desirable, however, to independently adjust the height of the seat 10 and foot rest 60, and thereby adjust the vertical spacing between said seat and foot rest. To this end, separate fastening elements are provided for the support 26 and foot rest 60 as shown in FIG. 5. The structure shown in FIG. 5 is identical to that shown in FIGS. 1-4 with the exception that the bolt 55 extends through only the support apertures 28 and cup apertures 54. A second bolt 70 extends through the apertures 63 in the foot rest sleeve 62 and another set of the support apertures 28 and is received in a nut 72 for thus mounting the foot rest on the support 22. Thus, it can be seen that in the structure illustrated in FIG. 5, the bolt 55 can be selectively received in one pair of support apertures 2S and the bolt 70 in another pair of said apertures for adjusting the vertical spacing between the seat and foot rest and adjusting their vertical spacings or heights from the ground.

It is to be understood, of course, that the chair shown in FIGS. 1-4 can be employed without the foot rest 69. It may also be desirable in some cases, such as for example in the construction of an infants high chair, to lock the seat against rotation and merely provide means for its height adjustment. To this end, the chair illustrated in FIG. 6 comprises a seat 10. Said seat is fixedly connected by a bracket 35 to the upper end of a tubular support 26 vertically slidable within a tubular support 22. The lower end of the support 22 is necked-down, as at 29, and is received in a collar 30 of a ground-engaging base 24. The inner ends of a plurality of groundengageable legs 32 are connected to the collar 30 in circumferentially spaced relationship and radiate outwardly and downwardly therefrom with end caps 33 being mounted on their outer ends.

A bearing 38 is mounted in the upper end of the support 22 to engage the support 26 for holding said supports in the desired spaced relationship at the upper end of the support 22. A plurality of vertically aligned, diametrically opposed pairs of apertures 28 are formed in the support 22. As shown, the edges of the apertures 28 are struck inwardly, as at 74, to engage the outer face of the support 26 and thus form a plurality of bearing surfaces for stabilizing and guiding the lower end of the support 26 within the support 22'. A pair of diametrically opposed apertures 75 are also formed in the support 26 adjacent the lower end thereof. A bolt 76 extends through the apertures 28 and 75 and is received in a nut 77 for maintaining the support 26', and thus the seat in the desired position of vertical adjustment with respect to the support 26. Thus, by positioning the bolt 76 in the desired pair of apertures 28 the seat can be releasably locked in the desired position of adjustment. With the bolt being received in the apertures 74, however, it prevents the support 26', and thus the seat 10', from being rotated with respect `to the support 26.

I claim:

1. A chair, comprising a first support member having a plurality of vertically spaced apertures, a ground-engageable base connected to said first support member, a second support member carried in said first support member and projecting upwardly therefrom, a seat connected to said second support member at the upper end thereof, a cup slidably carried in and engaging the walls of said first support member, a cap mounted in the lower end of said second support member having an annular side wall interposed between Said first and second support members and rotatably connected to said cup whereby said second support member is spaced from and is vertically and rotatably movable with respect to said first support member, and means releasably received in said first support apertures and apertures in said cup for releasably locking said second support in the desired position of vertical adjustment in said first support member.

2. A chair as set forth in claim 1 in which said cup and cap are disposed in bearing engagement with said first support member, and a bearing is interposed between said first and second support members at the upper end of said first support member.

3. A chair as set forth in claim 1 in which said cup and cap have mating walls interconnected by a pivot pin.

4. A chair as set forth in claim 1 in which said cup has an end wall and a peripherally extending side wall, said cap being rotatably carried on said end wall, and said side wall having apertures therein for reception of said means.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which said cap has annular inner and outer walls separated by an annular groove, and said second support is received in said groove and said outer wall is interposed between said first and second support members.

6. The -invention as set forth in claim 1 in which said cap comprises a frustoconical end wall, and annular inner and outer side walls separated by an annular groove, and said cup comprises a side `wall engaging the walls of said first support member and an end wall having a frustoconical depression for reception of the cap end Wall, said second support being received in said cap groove and said outer cap side wall being interposed between said first and second support members.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that a foot rest is slidably carried on said first support member and is releasably retained in the desired position of vertical adjustment thereon.

8. A chair as set forth in claim 7 in which said foot rest comprises a sleeve slidably carried on said first support member, a plurality of struts mounted on said collar and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a ring connected to the outer ends of said struts.

9. A chair, comprising a first support member having a plurality of vertically spaced apertures, a ground-engageable base connected to said first support member, a second support member carried in said first support member and projecting upwardly therefrom, a seat connected to said second support member at the upper end thereof, a cup slidably carried in and engaging the walls of said first support member, a cap mounted in the lower end of said second support member having an annular side wall interposed between said first and second support members and rotatably connected to said cup whereby said second support member is spaced from and is vertically rotatable with respect to said first support member, a foot rest having a sleeve vertically slidable on said first support member and having a pair of aligned apertures therein, a fastening element releasably retained in said cup and the apertures in said first support member and sleeve for releasably locking said foot rest and second support member in the desired position of vertical adjustment on said first support member with said second support member being free to rotate and said foot support being retained against rotation with respect to said first support member.

10. A chair, comprising a first support member having a plurality of vertically spaced apertures, a groundengageable base connected to said first support member, a second support member carried in said first support member and projecting upwardly therefrom, a seat connected to said second support member at the upper end thereof, a cup slidably carried in and engaging the walls of said first support member, a cap mounted in the lower end of said second support member having an annular side wall interposed between said first and second support members and rotatably connected to said cup whereby said second support member is spaced from and is vertically rotatable with respect to said first support member, a foot rest having a sleeve vertically slidable on said first member and having a pair of aligned apertures therein, a first fastening element releasably retained in said cup and apertures in said first support member for releasably locking said second support member in the desired position of vertical adjustment with respect to said first support member, and a second fastening element releasably retained in the apertures in said sleeve and first support member for releasably locking said foot rest in the desired position of vertical adjustment with respect to said first and second support members, said first and second fastening elements respectively permitting said second support member to rotate with respect to said first support member and preventing said foot rest from rotating with respect to said first support member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,073,718 9/1913 Stubblefield 297-168 1,723,363 8/1929 McArdle 297-437 1,816,747 7/1931 Rogers 248-413 2,659,413 11/1953 Cramer 297-437 2,683,615 7/1954 Holt 248-413 3,029,810 4/1962 Martin 248-407 FOREIGN PATENTS 550,136 8/1956 Belgium. 957,929 8/1949 France.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Examiner. 

1. A CHAIR, COMPRISING A FIRST SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED APERTURES, A GROUND-ENGAGEABLE BASE CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, A SECOND SUPPORT MEMBER CARRIED IN SAID FIRST SUPPORT MEMBER AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, A SEAT CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEMBER AT THE UPPER END THEREOF, A CUP SLIDABLY CARRIED IN AND ENGAGING THE WALLS OF SAID FIRST SUPPORT MEMBER, A CAP MOUNTED IN THE LOWER END OF SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING AN ANNULAR SIDE WALL INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORT MEMBERS AND ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO SAID CUP WHEREBY SAID SECOND SUPPORT MEMBER IS SPACED FROM AND IS VERTICALLY AND ROTATABLY MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST SUPPORT MEMBER, AND MEANS RELEASABLY RECEIVED IN SAID FIRST SUPPORT APERTURES AND APERTURES IN SAID CUP FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID SECOND SUPPORT IN THE DESIRED POSITION OF VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT IN SAID FIRST SUPPORT MEMBER. 